Hell & Heaven
by syriana94
Summary: 1910: Robert persuades Cora to attend a fox hunting.. but the happy day is about to turn into a misfortune. Hell or Heaven? [Cobert] Missing moment. Fluff. Drama. Romance. Happy ending.
1. Chapter 1

**NdA: I'm here again. This story is for my fiancè.. to make her ship Cobert u.u**  
 **Like I said before, I'm not English so I'm sorry for my mistakes :) please review and help me to improve my skills! Thank you so much, enjoy the reading!**  
Also, thanks for the support anyway :) **  
**

 **1/2 chapter - Cobert  
Missing moment. Fluff. Drama. ****Romantic.** **Happy ending.**

 **brief summary: Robert persuades Cora to attend a fox hunting.. but the happy day is about to turn into a misfortune. Hell or Heaven?**

* * *

 _1910_

Robert was pretending to read his paper. His eyes were just a little above the edge of the front page, fixed on his wife: Cora was evidently unquiet,yet, he didn't get why.  
She had began to do her needlework, just to thrown it aside on the couch five minutes later, she opened her favourite book, turned few pages and putted back in the library, then she checked the old clock four times in around ten minutes while walking up and down in front of the window.

"Are we expecting guests?" it was like talking to no one "Cora?" She jumped a little

"What? No." the woman sighed "I was thinking."

"That I can tell." he tried to make her smile but it didn't work "What's the matter?"

"Well, I've got nothing to do." she whined softly, sitting on the couch near him "The girls don't need me like they used to. No ball to plan.. Sometimes I can organize dinner for your invitees but that's it. I hate slouch around the house." Robert folded up his paper and sat close to her, embracing his wife

"I know you do." he whispered "On second thought, there's one thing I wanted to talk you about." Robert rubbed her back while recollecting his ideas

"Tell me." Cora's eyes brightened

"There's a fox hunting in three weeks time in our neighbourhood's estate. I thought you might come with me." She couldn't believe her ears. Cora gave her husband a shock glance.

"You must be mad! You know I haven't ridden a horse since 1886!" he chuckled while she blushed.

"I know, my dear. In fact I hope your beautiful mare didn't forget about you." he kissed her cheek. Robert had always loved the short times where the estate gave him pauses from work, and even more when that times overlapped with his wife's.. he had missed their moments together, just the two of them, and he immediately thought that it might was the perfect chance to cheer up his wife and enjoy some quality time with her too. "It'll be fun."  
Cora pondered for a long time.

"I hate you." she huffed, hugging him with a fake pout.

"I know you love me." he smiled with satisfaction.

"I do.. both."

* * *

Robert had given Isil to Cora as a wedding gift. It was the finest white mare foal he had ever seen and he couldn't thought of a better owner than his wife.  
Yet, the horses had to grown up a little of course, then Cora was with child and then there was the girls to take care of, and before they realized, time had slipped away.. his wife had never had the chance to ride her mare before nor any other horses.  
She was just out of practice.  
Cora looked quite hesitating while the hostler was saddling the horse.. what troubled her the most was the side-saddle on Isil's back. Her father, in America, when she was a girl, bought her a pony, but never taught her to ride as a lady. That was her very first time.. How could she had forgotten tell Robert? Well, it was too late anyway.

"It's all settled, milady." the man smiled and handed her the reins. Isil snorted a little "You'd like me to help?" Cora stared at him for she hadn't any idea how to get on that horse without a help.

"You're very kind, thank you." she smiled, trying to cover up her concern and managed to sat on the horse's back without falling on the other side, which, for her, was already a winning; then she figured out where to put her right leg.

"Are you all right milady?" the hostler patted Isil's neck with a tiny smile; he could see she wasn't comfortable at all but he didn't want to be rude or inappropriate.

"Yes, thank you." he bowed before leaving.  
Cora sighed in frustration, wondering what took so long for her husband to show with his glorious black stallion. "I'm so sorry if I'll give you hard times." she bent to her horse's neck and hand over a little treat, which the mare appreciated a lot. Cora smiled when its soft nose reached her palm: even through the glove she could feel its warm breath.

"You're a vision, my darling." his wife was stunning in her blue dress and the morning sunbeams gave her pale skin a special light. He chuckled when he saw her cheeks turning red. "Shall we begin?" he asked in an enthusiastic tone. Robert didn't wait for an answer and got on his horse, heading the stable gate with a merry walk.  
Cora already felt Isil getting more confident step after step while following her black pal. She was told that her mare was wonderful and trained by the best instructor for almost 20 years, it was the kindest and now that it was a little old it was the perfect horse to learn how to ride. It still had the strength to run as fast as a foal, and to jump higher than Mary's champ, when it was in the mood. Cora was both relieved and scared by those information: that experience could have been the best or the worst, it was up to Isil.

* * *

Thanks to Robert's lessons and Mary's suggestions, Cora felt enough confident to ride on her own after one week and a half. She practised every day, of course she never neglected a thing, but every-time she found a free pause, she dressed up and ran toward her horse. The mare even learned to greet her with a loud neigh as soon as it heard her fast steps approaching its box.. Cora soon began to speak about Isil addressing it "my baby" and changed the subject "it" to "she" quite shortly as well.  
The girl were all happy to see their mother happy again but they were also feeling rather jealous for she was treating her beloved horse as a fourth daughter.

"She'll make a room for that horse next to ours soon enough." Mary huffed. She was watching her mother riding, as every afternoon, in front of the Abbey. She first walked a little, then trotted and lastly galloped toward the nearest forest, vanishing between the trees.

"Leave poor mama alone. She found her purpose." Sybil scolded her sister in a lovely voice. It was impossible to get angry with those green eyes.  
The older sister tried to continue her needlework even though she knew she was bad at doing those thing.. she believed herself much good at riding.. but now with her mother improving time after time she felt her throne to be usurped.

"You've created a monster, papa." she said in a lower voice.

"I heard you." Robert didn't even bother raising his eyes from his paper "She's happy. So should you." he turned the pages. Mary nodded to herself, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"You think there will be owls?" Robert looked quite surprised to his wife, wrapped around his arms with a sleepy face. They were on their way to their friend's estate to attend the hunting and, like every time they took the carriage in early morning, she was nestled to him half-awake.

"Why, my dear?" Cora looked up to the window, little worried for the cloudy sky.

"Yesterday Isil got scared by some bird of prey and I fell off." she covered her mouth with her hands to suppress a yawn.

"Are you hurt? Why didn't you tell me?" Robert's voice was a mix of concern and anger.

"I fell on my own feet, somehow, and Isil run back to me in a minute. It wasn't that big deal.. I was just wondering." she mumbled, sitting sedately. Cora remembered the time she fell off and passed out, just around two weeks ago; Robert threatened her not to go back on the saddle before a couple of days and she had to follow his lead not to be grounded as a little kid.

"If you don't feel comfortable enough-"

"I'll be fine." she sighed "If I'll get tired I'll tell you." Cora repeated the term of their agreement since then and that seemed to calm him down.  
Robert was starting to regret his decision but now that Cora was so happy it was impossible to let her down: he couldn't bear her sad face and her bright smile turning off. Besides, she would have certainly loved to embarrass all the wives drinking their tea and gossiping (perhaps about how inconvenient was to ride for Lady Grantham as well now) while she was the only one on the saddle enjoying the day and the company of all their husbands.

* * *

"Thank you." Cora was tasting her biscuit with a cool smile. She didn't mind all the envious mumbling she could perfectly hear about how inopportune was for her to be on the saddle, at the contrary she enjoyed it.. as Robert predicted.  
He on the other hand was standing few feet apart from her, swaggering around while receiving compliments on how beautiful and talented and brave his wife was. Lord Grantham and his Lady were the victorious ones that day, even before the hunt had began, they were the topic conversation that was running from mouth to mouth.  
Cora was quite surprised by all those rumours: weren't their daughters riding as well? Why had Mary never risen such a tumult? Was it due to her age?

"I hope you like mug, milady!" Cora turned her head just before hail the master's house with a nod. Mug? Why would he say such a thing?

"I think it'll rain soon, my dear." Robert moved closer to his wife, eyes glancing the cloudy sky. Both their horses were nervous. The treat didn't work so well that time, for Cora was the most anxious one: in three weeks it had never rained and she didn't know what to expect. "Don't be scared or Isil will feel it."

"Easy for you.." she wined, reaching with restless eyes the horn.

"It'll be slippery.. trust Isil and stay close to me." Cora nodded and cleared her throat.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after the hunting began, Cora felt confident enough to ease her mind and really enjoy the riding. She and Robert were almost at the end of the group, talking, laughing and teasing each other on their riding skills. They didn't care much about the fox, they just followed the others when the patchy storm of dogs and horses changed direction.  
The countryside looked even more stunning on the back of a horse, despite the fresh wind and the grey sky it was like a sunny day of spring.. it was just lovely. She admired, perhaps for the first time, the soft green hills, the scent of the lavender and yarrow, she yelled laughing her husband's name even when she saw a tiny waterfall gushing through a rock so he wouldn't miss it.  
Cora was so happy and marvellous he couldn't do nothing but smile and laugh to every single surprised gasp she made. It was like seeing her for the first time. It was like having the young and cheerful Cora he married twenty years ago.

"You were right, darling, I adore it. We're in heaven." her voice was broken for the trotting of Isil, Robert laughed even for that.

"Let's join the others so we can rest a little." they started a little race unto the group, which settled in a small clearing, and Robert let her win just to be sure he could see that smile all day long.  
The hunting started again with a horn sound and a distant lighting roar. Cora felt a shiver running down her back, but she forced herself to smile back to her husband and followed him.  
Lord and Lady Grantham were at the tail of the group, making sure that Cora's inexperience wasn't dangerous to her while she was jumping over a little fence or brush or even running trough a stream.  
By the time they were about 40 yards away form the others, it began to rain.  
Robert often licked the drops away from his top lip just to make her laugh for his funny face and Cora was making fun of her own wet hair. They were happy.  
Cora laughed even when Isil, which almost tripped on a root, splashed into a poodle and covered them both with mug. She was shivering, but she was amusing herself, she loved that time with her beloved Robert, her mind was free like it hadn't been for years.. so free that she wasn't pay attention to her trustful Isil's behaviour.  
The mare was becoming more nervous as the storm was approaching and the birds flying tree to tree making her ears turn several times, along with the frightened eyes.  
Cora was laughing at Robert's last joke about her dress and that didn't help either. Isil got frighten by a lighting that stroke the sky in front of them, the mare reached protection under the nearer tree, neglecting her owner on its back and run away in fear.

"Cora!" Robert managed to hold his stallion, which just reared up for the bustle, and jumped off his saddle in the moment he saw that his wife wasn't on her horse anymore. The brushes had beaten strong her face and she had fallen off.  
Robert rushed toward her in the very moment he saw her laying face down near the bole. Robert kneel down and held her up, dying with concern when he realized she was unconscious, with a big cut on the left side of her forehead.  
The storm broke down upon them.  
Robert yelled when he saw his horse alone, stirring its clogs, and at the first rumble eloping as well.

"Arat, come back, champ!" the horse was just too frightened and far away to obey.  
They were alone. _He_ was alone.. with his wife needing help. Oh that was hell.


	2. Chapter 2

**NdA: Thanks for the support and advices! I hope you liked it.. I'll be back soon with a new (Cobert) horror experience. Stay tuned!**  
 **Kindly reminding (again) that I'm not English so I'm sorry for my mistakes :) please review and help me to improve my skills! Thank you so much, enjoy the reading!**

 **2/2 chapter - Cobert  
Missing moment. Fluff. Drama. ****Romantic.** **Happy ending.**

* * *

Robert was sitting under the oak, holding Cora like a child, close to his chest, trying to protect her from the rain: the storm was massive and the branches offered them not enough shelter from the cold wind and the icy drops.  
He tried so hard to wake his wife up, he had called her name until his voice turned into a desperate moan; Robert was just too scared to think.  
He stood there helplessly for minutes, until the umpteenth lighting set on fire the oak in front of him; he stared at the flames dancing and burning the woods while the rain was fought to extinguish them.  
Robert couldn't stay there forever.  
Not when there was a storm that probably scared everyone off and made them return to the estate safe and sound. He couldn't remain there with his wife unconscious, maybe seriously hurt, into the cold and the rain.. he had to do something.  
Waiting for someone to rescue them was out of question.. it could had taken hours.. and he didn't have much time for they had soon died of cold.  
He needed to find a dry place to rest and wait for a better chance to return home.  
Robert tried to recollect his thoughts and strove to remember where was their neighbourhood's estate, where was Downton, which path did they follow and which hills did they crossed. He imagined a map of the place, just like the one he owned to administrate his own estate and gladly he understood they were near the border of the two lands.  
He knew Downton Abbey and its countryside palm to palm and he couldn't risk to wonder in unknown land seeking for a shelter. He had to head to his home. Sure he would have manage to find a lonely shack used by his labourers during emergencies.. there would have been blankets, some food and maybe a place where to start a fire.. that was their only chance.  
Robert raised on his kneel and hold up his wife before standing up. Her dress was so soaked it add at least 20 pounds to his her body, not to mention his own jacket and shirt.. but that were the only things to shield the rain. Those clothes were either their salvation and their ruin.  
The great Lord of Grantham had never felt so lonely, powerless and desperate: what if he couldn't find a place? What if Cora was seriously ill? What if he got lost?  
His desperation and concern for his wife were the only things that kept him going, that kept him walking, wobbling from a tree to another, with his mind focused on remembering which was the right direction to follow.

"Hold on, my darling. We'll be safe." he mumbled, raising his voice over the rain noise. He had been talking to his wife to give himself the strength he needed, like she could listen and support and encourage him like she always did. He could hear her delicate voice in his ears saying that he was the right man for the task, that he could do it, that he was the strongest and the bravest.  
Robert smiled, tears of joy rolled down his cheeks along with the raindrops, when his eyes saw an abandoned mill's tower near the river. It wasn't the old building he was after, but it could certainly fitted as well.. at least they would had a roof upon their heads and, luckily, even some blankets or dry hay to warm themselves.  
After all, Robert himself gave the order of keeping the necessary in every building of the estate in case of emergency and he trusted the loyalty the worker relayed on him.  
He rushed to the tower, ignoring the brambles that had grown around the wooden doorway that scratched his legs, and entered the building back turned.  
He sighed in relief when he realized that he had left the storm just outside the door and he had found protection in that desolate place.  
At first glance, the roof leaked here and there, it was rather dark despite a little window on the top of the tower, it was dusty, but it had all the stuff he might needed.

"Oh Cora, my sweet Cora.." he huffed, tired, placing his wife gently on a straw pallet near the dirty fireplace "I'm so sorry, darling." he bit his lip hard not to cry again. It was his fault, after all.. If he hadn't came up with that stupid idea of hunting, she would have never been in that condition, soaked, unconscious and hurt.  
He breathed deeply, kissing her cold hand and closing his eyes.  
Robert soon cleared his throat, forcing himself to think clear and take the lead.  
What did his valet do after he had returned from a rainy hunt? What were his suggestion? Dry clothes and, perhaps a hot bath. Sure he didn't want his wife to get a cold too.  
He took off his jacket and rushed toward the shelves full of stuff: there were bandages, iodine, some tin cans of food, blankets, work tools and-

"Oh.. thank God." Robert looked up for a moment, clutching a match-book close to his chest. That was sure a big help to start a fire.  
He assembled some sticks in the fireplace, covered them with some straw and took care of the trembling flames until it was strong enough to burn and live by itself.  
It was time to take care of Cora: she was now passed out from at least fifteen minutes and under the rain he couldn't tell if the wound was still bleeding.. it was.  
Robert panicked, almost dropping the only bottle of iodine he had and managed to heal the cut with a curios-shaped bandage.. oh if just Cora was awake, she would have appreciated so much to his attempt of doing a good medication, and her crystalline laugh would have recovered his heavy heart.  
Robert sighed before starting to unbutton her blue dress, drenched with water and mug. He was delighted into discovering that that peculiar item of clothing was different from any other he had to deal with (of course he only was familiar with nightgowns): it was completely opened on its back in the very moment he undid the ribbon under the corset, which left her wife with her legs exposed quite fast.. He would have enjoyed that discovering if that wasn't for Cora's condition; then there was the jacket, the corset and the undergarments.. Those were soaked as well and he didn't think twice before release his wife's body from the wetness.  
He wrapped Cora in a warm blanket before poke at the fire and then he took off all his own clothes. Robert felt much better without all that fabric stuck to his skin.  
He walked anxiously around for a couple of minutes, he took inventory, he wondered how long they had to stay in there.. How could anyone know where to find them?  
Fear took over him again. Robert tightened his fingers on the blanket on his shoulders, letting himself drop on his wife's side. Sobbing for he couldn't do anything but wait, hoping and praying that everything would have been going fine.

* * *

" _For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne..*_ " Robert didn't have any idea why his wife loved so much that song while he found it saddening and completely inappropriate for Christmas or New Year. But Cora always got quite moving listening to that song and he learned it just to sing it to her.. he remembered her sweet laugh the first time, when he wasn't enough confident yet and he messed up with all the Scottish words.  
Robert smiled, cherishing Cora's hand and placing his lips onto her cold skin. He had washed her from the mug with some rain he collected in a sink, he had rubbed her skin to warm her up but nothing had seemed to work.. and soon enough he realised Cora was ill of a light fever. He wouldn't bothered because it was quite natural after all the water they got, but why wasn't she awake?  
Robert closed his eyes, breathing slowly while kissing his wife's palm and the back of her hand and gasped in surprised when he felt her fingers slightly moving against his cheek.

"Cora?" he whispered her name, but soon enough he realised it would have never been enough for her now "Cora, darling?" he spoke with firm and also caring voice.

"Robert?" she mumbled with her eyes closed. He was bursting with joy.  
Robert kissed her hand, with deep love, fighting back the tears not to scare her.

"Thank God." he sighed blissfully.

"Where are we—my head-" Cora had risen her left hand but Robert was quick enough to keep her from touching her wound. He could tell she was confused and maybe in pain but what mattered most was having her awake.

"Don't worry. Isil got scared and kicked you off.. you hit a branch, remember?" he shifted one of her dark brown curl behind her ear. She winkled her forehead then barely nod with her eyes shut "How are you feeling?" he moved closer to her.

"Confused.. and naked- Robert!" Cora managed to remove her hand from his grasp and lifted the blanket until her chin. Robert gave her a guilty look.

"I had to. We could get a pneumonia- look!" he opened his blanket to reveal his naked torso. When Cora opened her mouth both shocked and amused, Robert fold it up again. "I am a man of duty, you know." he pretended to look elsewhere and curled his lips into a serious face.

"I know." she chuckled, ignoring the stinging pain into her head.  
Cora raised her arms toward him and hugged him tight, breathing onto his neck and enjoying his embrace and warmth "My hero." she whispered near to his ear and Robert smiled proud and happy.

"You'll tell the girls?" he was peacocking, that made her laugh.

"Of course." she nodded. "When we will get to see them, anyway?" slowly her confusion was abandoning her mind and she was beginning to look around.. she wanted to know more about their condition.

"Well." that sigh from her husband's lips wasn't comforting at all. "Great Flood is outside. We're in our estate.. in a mill's tower I doubt anyone remembers. I trust in someone notice our absence." Robert kissed her forehead. "It won't be long, I hope." he was trying to convince the both of them, because he wasn't sure of anything.

"Speaking of duties.." Robert rose his sight to her wife's curious face.

"Mmh?" was it a hint of malice in her eyes? Robert grinned.

"We're alone in the middle of nowhere. It could take hours for our rescue.. and I'm freezing." he pouted and kissed gently her lips.

"My poor mistress in distress." cooed Robert with a funny voice "What can I do for you?" Cora smiled and surrounded his neck with her arms.

"Warm me up, my hero."

* * *

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere else?" Robert was adding straw ant twigs to the fire. Cora shook her head, trying to figure out the entity of her injury while he wasn't pay attention; she got a little scared when her finger got red.

"I'm fine." she whispered, moving her back "I think I've got scratches on my shoulders."

"You do." confirmed Robert, biting his inner lip "I did check you out, I was worried." Cora smiled and blushed.

"I know you'll always take care of me." as soon as he was next to her, Cora caressed his cheek.

"I will." he chuckled and laid next to her "In every way possible."  
Robert watched his wife's face silhouette. She was so beautiful in that light, like every night in their bedroom, when the fireplace was burning.  
Without even realizing, he was kissing her with growing passion.  
It was all so romantic: the knight who saved his damsel, the rain pouring down, the abandoned tower, the fireplace crackling.. It was the wildest thing they've ever done in their entire lives, and neither Robert or Cora could have denied that is was terrifyingly exciting.  
Robert stroke his wife's hair with his fingers. Her curls were still a little wet, but he couldn't care for he was charmed by the softness of her locks free from any kind of ribbon or braid; Robert realized he had never seen her hair completely down.. and she was just beautiful.  
Cora closed her eyes, nestling on her husband's side, laying her head on his shoulder to kiss his neck; her wound still caused her slight pain, but focusing on Robert, any bad sensation had flown away. She unfold the blanket and curled against him, making sure that the fabric covered them both.

"You're rather cheeky, Lady Grantham." Robert chuckled again.

"My husband inspires me." she replied, pressing her body against his warm skin. That was the most beautiful sensation during winter night but on that occasion it was pure delight.

"Are you feeling better now?" Robert's voice lowered considerably as his breath rubbed Cora's chin and neck.

"Very much so." her nimble fingers raced under the blanket onto his chest, down, to his hip. Her arm embraced him gently as he slowly turned on his side, his right hand pressed on his wife's lower back.

"You got me scared. The thought of loosing you-" Cora stopped his words with placing a sweet kiss oh his lips. The last thing she wanted now was her husband's eye getting sad.

"You won't. Never ever." she spoke firmly "In fact I am very much alive." she grinned and bit his lip. He sighed, smiled and then covered her mouth with a deep kiss.  
It was not long before he moved closer to her, shifting with his torso over hers, trembling with emotion and desire as he felt her breath become more and more irregular. Cora's chest was moving up and down under his, beating the time throughout that unreal stillness around them.  
It was like they were in a different world, where all the bad was just outside that shelter and they could benefit of a small but safe place of happiness and delight.. for how long they wished. They had time in their hands. They had their world in their hands, for as long they stayed in each other arms, no harm could have ever happen.  
Among hell, they had found heaven.

* * *

*Song info: wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne


End file.
